Mercedes - Mercedes early models and Simplex
Daimler was one of the earliest motorcar manufactures. With the large order for cars from the Austro-Hungarian Emil Jellinek living in the South of France, and the thoughtful and advanced designs of Wilhelm Maybach, the Mercedes brand was born. Below you will see a list of many of the Mercedes models from this early period. Often when a Mercedes model contiuned in production with an increase in horsepower, this was as a result of obtaining higher engine revolutions, rather than capacity increse, which led to the higher power output. The horsepower number (PS short for horse strength Pferdestarke) was the power produced by the engine - in earlier times this could be quoted on its own, although when there are two figures, the first denotes the "tax horsepower" figure. But what the same Mercedes was listed outside Germany, for marketing in the the UK or American markets would often differ in description, which can make things confusing for the historian when looking back today! As an example with the Mercedes 28/50 built between 1910 and 1912, it was marketed in England as 45/50 and a Mercedes 50 in the USA, this model becoming listed later in Germany as the 28/60 during 1912 as the power increased due to higher engine revolutions . . . .
Below we show many of these Mercedes models, with a brief description, along with the tyre sizes they were listed with from the factory, some sizes of which are virtually unheard of these days! This means that today the existing cars from this period are often fitted with different sizes to the original fitment. Another factor is UK delivered cars sold through the Milnes-Daimler showroom were all fitted with UK built tyres, no doubt to save on import duty (and the UK agent was involved with tyre manufacture) and since many of the sizes listed below were not produced in the UK, these cars would have started off with different tyre sizes. Many cars supplied new to USA customers went via the UK. A Mercedes assembly plant was also built in the USA which burnt down in 1907. And we know that some "Kolonien" supplied cars had different tyre sizes and sometimes tracks widths. As we discover more on these Mercedes models, or if anyone has more information, we will update the list below:
- Mercedes 35. 116x140mm 5,913cc. Built 1901. Front tyre 910x90, rear tyre 1020x120.
- Mercedes 40. 118x150mm (also quoted with 120mm bore). 1902. First use of term "Simplex". Front tyre 910x90, rear tyre 920x120.
- Mercedes 8/11. Built 1902 - 1903 (marketed in UK as 10hp). No tyre details available.
- Mercedes 18/22. 100x130mm 4,084cc. Built 1902 (marketed in UK as 18hp). Built 1902. No tyre details available.
- Mercedes 18/22. 90x120mm. Built 1903 (marketed in England as 18/22). No tyer details available.
- Mercedes 18/28. 100x130mm 4,084cc. Car as earlier built 18/22 but built 1904 - 1906.
- Mercedes 28/32. 110x140mm 5,315cc. Built 1901- 1906. Front tyre 870x90 or 910x90, rear tyre 1010x90 or 920x120. The 28/32 was marketed in England (Milnes Daimler as 28hp and 24/28).
- Mercedes 38/40. 116x145mm 6,129cc. Built 1901- 1903. Front tyre 910x90, reat tyre 1020x120.
- Mercedes 38/40. later version 118x150mm 6,558cc. Built 1901-1903. Front tyre 910x90, reat tyre 1020x120.
- Mercedes 40/45. 120x150mm 6,785cc. Buit 1903 - 1907. Front tyre 910x90, rear tyre choice 920x120 or 1020x120.
- Mercedes 10/20. 80x130mm. Built 1905 - 1914. Shaft drive.Ttyre size 820x120. Marketed in UK as 15/20hp and 20hp.
- Mercedes 21/35. 110x140mm. Built 1905 - 1910 and in 1912 reapperared as the 22/40. Shaft drive. Tyre size 895x135.
- Mercedes 22/40. 110x140mm. Built 1912 was marketed in UK as 35/40hp. Tyre size presumably as above.
- Mercedes 31/55. Same as above built 1906-1909. Front tyre 910x90, rear tyre choice 920x120 or 1020x120. This model led to the later 28/50 and 28/60 models, causing no end of confusion between all these models in the UK brochures.
The Mercedes 31/55PS was marketed in Englnand as 45/50, later 45/52 and from 1908 45hp. Tyre size 935x135, a model owned by King Edward VII. It would appear that the English agent referred to the 45hp over the years on models 22/40PS from 1908 (later called the 40hp for 1911), and from 1910 the 28/60 (chain and shaft drive models) referred to as 45/50.
- Mercedes 35/40 built 1906-1907. A development of the 1905 28/32 (110x140mm).
- Mercedes 26/45. Same as above built 1909 - 1910. Front tyre 910x90, rear tyre choice 920x120 or 1020x120.
The Mercedes 26/45 was marketed in UK by DuCross-Mercedes as 35/40hp.
- Mercedes 60. 140x160mm 9,236cc. Built 1902 - 1905. Front tyre 910x100, rear tyre 920x120 or 1020x120 (heavy limousines would have twin rear wheels). This car was also described in Germany as 60/70PS Simplex to 1906.
- Mercedes 36/65. 140x150mm. Built 1905 - 1910. UK marketed as 65/70, 70 and 65.
- Mercedes 90. 165x140mm 12,500cc. Built 1903 - 1905.
- Mercedes 80PS. 170x140mm. Built 1904.
- Mercedes 36/65. 140x150mm 9,235. Built 1905-1910. Front tyre 915x105, rear tyre 935x135. (The 36/65 eplaced the earlier 60/70 model)
- Mercedes 15/20. 80x130 2,160cc. Built 1905 - 1909. Front tyre 815x105, rear tyre 820x120.
- Mercedes 10/20. Same as above built 1909 - 1912. Front tyre 815x105, rear tyre 820x120.
- Mercedes 10/25. Same as above built 1912 - 1915. Front tyre 815x105, rear tyre 820x120.
- Mercedes 14/30, or 35PS. 90x140mm 3,560cc. Built 1908 -1914. All tyres 820x120. Marketed by Milnes Daimler in UK as 25/30hp.
- Mercedes 14/35. Same as above built 1912 -1915. All tyres 820x120.
- Mercedes 35. 110x140mm 5,319cc. Built 1905 - 1909.
- Mercedes 22/35. Same as above built 1909.
- Mercedes 22/40PS. first series 1908-1910. 120x160mm, 7240cc. Built from 1908 marketed in UK as 45hp.
- Mercedes 22/40 later type (1912 onward). 110x148mm 5,623cc. Or 110x150mm 5,702cc. Front tyre 875x105 or 895x105, rear tyres 895x135. Marketed in England as 35/40hp. (or just 40hp). UK tyre size quoted front 875x105, resr 895x135.
- Mercedes 22/50 Same model as above built 1912 - 1920.
- Note that the 22/50 above was marketed in England (Milnes-Daimler-Mercedes) as Mercedes 35/40 . . .
- Mercedes 55. 130x150mm 7,959cc. Built 1905 - 1909.
- Mercedes 31/55. Same model as above built 1909.
- Mercedes 28/50. 120x160mm 7,240cc. Built 1910 - 1912. Front tyre 915x105, rear tyre 935x135
- Mercedes 28/60. Same as above. Built 1912 - 1920. Front tyre 915x105, rear tyre 935x135
- The 28/50 and 28/60 (listed in UK as 45/50) were available with with chain drive or conventional cardan shaft.
- Mercedes 38/70. 140x160mm 9,850cc. Built 1910 - 1912. Front tyre 915x105, rear tyre 935x135.
- Mercedes 38/80. Same as above built 1912 - 1915. Front tyre 915x105, rear tyre 935x135.
- Mercedes 37/65 or 37/70. 120x140 (6 cylinder) 9,495cc. Built 1906 - 1910. Front tyre 915x105, rear tyre 935x135. Marketed in UK as 65/70hp while a description in "The Motor" in 1907 quotes tyre sizes of front 910x90 and rear 920x120.
- Mercedes 39/75. 120x150mm (6 cylinder) 10,197cc. Built 1906 to 1910. Front tyre 920x120, rear tyre 935x135. Marketed in UK as 75/100 with tyre size 935x135 "on Warland dual steel rims".
- Mercedes 39/80. Same as above.
- Mercedes 37/90. 130x180mm 9,530cc. Built 1910 - 1914. Front tyre 915x105, rear tyre 935x135.
- Mercedes 37/95. Same as above
- Mercedes 38/100. 132x180mm, 9,850cc. Built 1915. Front tyre 935x135, rear tyre 935x135.
- Mercedes 8/18. 70x120mm 1,846cc built 1910 - 1912. Tyre size 815x105. Marketed by Milnes Daimler as 12/15hp to year 1914.
- Mercedes 8/20. Same as above built 1912 - 1913. Tyre size 815x105.
- Mercedes 8/22. 74x120mm built 1913 - 1921. Tyre size 815x105.
- Mercedes 12/32. 84x140mm 3,013cc. Tyre size 820x120.
- Mercedes 10/30 Sleeve valve engine 2,610cc. Built 1912 - 1915. Tyre size 820x120
- Mercedes Sleeve valve engine 4,080cc. built 1910 - 1924 (16/40, 16/45, 16/50). Tyre size 820x120.
- Mercedes 25/65 Sleeve valve engine 6,330cc. Built 1912 - 1915. Front tyre 915x105, rear tyre 935x135.
- Mercedes 28/95. 105x140 7,280cc 6 cylinder. Built 1914 - 1915, then 1920-1924. Tyre size 895x135 or 935x135.
